Houston Texans 2020 second-round pick Ross Blacklock had a lackluster rookie campaign. If it were the lone season of his career, it would be fair to say the TCU alumnus was a bust.
However, there is always next year, and the defensive tackle seeks to take advantage of the Tampa 2 system new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith is implementing.
To get where Blacklock wants to go in his career, he knows he has to first reconcile with himself on the football field.
“Just trust myself, trust my instincts, trust my abilities, don’t second guess anything, and just be able to use my abilities to the best as I can,” said Blacklock. “Just go out there and just have fun and play. Just take all the thinking out of it.”
There were some signs Blacklock could make an impact on defense with 14 combined tackles with a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits through 15 games, one of which he started.
In 2021, Blacklock wants to be part of a unit that can get after the quarterback.
“We’ve got a lot of really good pass rushers,” Blacklock said. “Guys can just go and just rush up field, use a move. It’s not really like a one-system thing. Guys can get out of their comfort zone and try new stuff and new moves, as well as myself. So, I’m excited to see what everybody has for the season and get to unleash some new tricks.”
If Blacklock’s new tricks include helping the Texans stop the run, of which they gave up 5.2 yards per carry last year, the most in the NFL, and also procure takeaways, of which they could gather just nine, the fewest in the league, then the former TCU product’s tricks will be enough to treat Houston sports fans to a taste of success in an otherwise presumed disastrous campaign.